American Sign Language Interpreter Analysis

Interpreters are keen to working in many different settings and situations. They are a part of many experiences of other people whether it be happy, sad, life threatening, life changing, etc. They are a part of weddings, graduations, birthday parties, theatre, you name it! The role of the interpreter changes with each assignment and their preparation as well. As for the theatre, they become actors. They take on the role as if they were the ones on stage themselves acting and singing. It isn’t as easy as it may seem. When interpreting for the Deaf in this sort of setting, it is the interpreters job to provide the same theatrical experience for them as the Hearing people experience it. This means creating the scene, establishing the characters early on and their relationship to each other but also the music and its accents. For this, the interpreter must be extremely skilled because this is very complex. There are hours of preparation for this which means practice and attending all the rehearsals. The interpreter must know that there are challenges such as rapid speech, conveying
Theatrical settings stay true to these qualities of ASL. It would almost impossible to translate word for word one art form into another. The interpreters goal is to achieve linguistic equivalence through interpretation and that is impossible if translated equally. Music is another art form that cannot be interpreted word for word. It must be interpreted into ASL for the true meaning to be conveyed. Interpreters must communicate musical expression; in other words, they must show the music. They must give a “visual aesthetic.” They must show the sharpness of the music, the elongated words, etc. Sometimes the Deaf audience may miss the action on stage due to looking at the interpreter, so it’s the interpreters job to convey that scene through ASL. Expression in ASL never knew what hit is until it meets